Cable roller

ABSTRACT

A cable roller includes a body structure mounting a roller in its lower portion and a projecting hooklike configuration in its upper portion by means of which it is supported on a strand to which the cable is to be attached. Movable latch bars are arranged to close the area of the body structure adjacent the roller and the projecting hooklike configuration and springs are provided to bias the latch bars into normally closed position. A lever is provided which may be remotely actuated for moving the latch bars to open position so that the device may be positioned on or removed from a supporting strand and a cable positioned on or removed from the roller thereof.

United States Patent [72] Inventors Samuel J. Sowards 217 W. Lincolnway, Lisbon, Ohio 44432; William L. Reali, Jr., 1746 Kensington Ave., Youngstown, Ohio 44505 [21] Appl. No. 6,729 [22] Filed Jan. 29, 1970 [45] Patented Nov. 9, 1971 [54] CABLE ROLLER 4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S. Cl 254/194, 254/195, 226/196 [51] int. Cl 866d 1/36 [50] Field of Search 226/196, 194; 259/194, 195, 193, 134.3 PA, 134.3 CL

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,134,575 5/1964 Walter 254/1343 647,924 4/1900 Kennedy ABSTRACT: A cable roller includes a body structure mounting a roller in its lower portion and a projecting hooklike configuration in its upper portion by means of which it is supported on a strand to which the cable is to be attached. Movable latch bars are arranged to close the area of the body structure adjacent the roller and the projecting hooklike configuration and springs are provided to bias the latch bars into normally closed position. A lever is provided which may be remotely actuated for moving the latch bars to open position so that the device may be positioned on or removed from a supporting strand and a cable positioned on or removed from the roller thereof.

CABLE ROLLER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to cable rollers by means of which cables such as telephone cables and the like may be brought into proximity with and supported adjacent to a supporting strand.

2. Description of the Prior Art Prior inventions of this type such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 964,019 and 3,134,575 have disclosed device which are intended. to be used for the same purpose. Such devices have not been widely adopted commercially because of the difficulty of maintaining the same on the supporting strand while moving the devices relative thereto as is necessary when installing a cable in proximity thereto, to be supported thereby.

This invention provides a simple and efficient dual-latch-bar arrangementwhich operates to secure the device in movable relation to both the supporting strand and the cable being brought into position adjacent thereto.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A cable roller comprisingabody structure which may be formed of stamped metal parts and assembled as by-welding the parts to one another includes a vertically standing frame having journals in its lower portion by means of which a roller on a suitable axle may be easily mounted. The upper portion of the frame extends outwardly over the lower portion wherein the roller is mounted and is, provided with a hooklike configuration which in itself is bifurcated and the parts thereof spaced with respect to one another so that the cable roller may be positioned on a strand with the portions of the cable roller engaging this strand spaced with respect to one another. Latch bars mounted in spaced relation to one another and engageable with the hooklike configuration of the upper portion of the body structure insure the retention of the cable roller on the supportingstrand while permitting it to be moved longitudinally thereof.

Still another latch bar closes the structure with respect to the area in which the roller is positioned so that the device can be positioned on a cable and a strand and moved relative to both the cable and the strand while insuring its continued registry with the strand and the cable until the latch bars are deliberately moved to open position as by a lever which is capable of remote actuation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective elevation showing the cable roller embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation on line 2--2 of FIG. 1 with parts broken away and parts in cross section.

FIG. 3 is a front plan view of the cable roller and FIG. 4 is a top plan view thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In its simplest form the cable roller comprises a body structure formed of a principal vertical member having a horizontal flange 11 at its lower end and wherein the outer end of the horizontal flange is up turned to form a secondary vertical member 12. i

The uppermost end of the principal vertical member 10 is widened as at 13 and positioned in a secondary horizontal flange 14. The outermost ends of which are bifurcated and down turned angularly as at 15. A third vertical member 16 offset midway between its upper and lower ends by a horizontal section 17 is positioned between the horizontal flange l1 and the secondary horizontal flange 14 and secured thereto as be welding. Openings'in transverse alignment are formed in the lower portion of the third vertical member 16 and the secondary vertical member 12 and an axle preferably formed of a bolt 18 is positioned therethrough with a nut 19 securing the bolt 18 in position where it rotatably mounts a cable supporting roller 20 which is provided with end flanges 21. The upper end of the third vertical member 16 is widened as at 22 as may best bev seen by referring to FIG. 3 of the drawings and openings formed therein slideably receive a pair of latch bars 23.

Still another opening 24 is formed in the third vertical member 16 immediately above the horizontal section 17 thereof and a third latch bar 25 is slidably received therein. The latch bar 25 is secured ,to a latch plate 26 and the latch bars 23 are slidably positioned through openings formed therein as best seen in FIG. 2 of the drawings. The latch bars 23 are slideably positioned on rods 27 which are telescopically arranged with respect to the hollow interiors of the latch bars 23. Springs 29 are positioned on the rods 27 between the widened upper portion 13 of the principal vertical member 10 and the annular flanges 28 on the latch bars 23 and normally urge the latch bars 23 into the position illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

It will be observed that in such a position a strand caged between the latch bars 23 and the secondary horizontal flange l4 and the down turned ends 15 thereof will be in a position to support the cable roller at a point substantially midway above the roller 20 and that the area caging the strand (not shown) is sufficient in size to permit the device to be moved along the strand while supporting a cable on the roller 20 and moving the same into proximity with the strand.

The latch plate 26 has a secondary rod 30 thereon which extends to the left as seen in FIG. 2 of the drawings and through an opening in the principal vertical member 10 where it is engaged by a lever 31. A coil spring 32 is positioned between the principal vertical member 10 and the latch plate 26 and normally urges the latch plate 26 and the latch bar 25 thereon to the right as seen in Fig. 2 of the drawings where the latch bars are closed with respect to the cable roller.

It will occur to those skilled in the art that the lever 31 may be moved from a remote position by the use of a pole have a wedge-shaped configuration on its upper end which is brought into position against the inner side of the lever 31 and twisted so as to move the lever 31 outwardly with respect to the principal vertical member 10 whereupon the same motion will be transmitted to the latch plate 26 so as to move the latch bar 25 immediately and the latch bars 23 subsequently thereto.

It will thus be seen that the device provides for opening the latch bar 25 to permit access to the cable roller 20 as by positioning a cable thereon while the latch bars 23 remain in closed position and securely holding the device on a supporting strand.

The above described structure provides the relatively easy and fast means of moving a cable into proximity to a supporting strand and insures against the device becoming accidentally unhooked from the supporting strand or the cable while at the same time permitting the device to be moved relative to both the supporting strand and the cable as is necessary.

Although but one embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and having thus described out invention, what we claim is:

l. A cable roller comprising a vertical body structure having horizontal flanges at its upper and lower ends, down turned portions on one side of said upper horizontal flange and an upturned portion of one side of said lower horizontal flange, a roller rotatably positioned between said vertical body and the upturned portion of said lower horizontal flange, a latch bar 1 slideably positioned in said vertical body structure for move- 2. The cable roller of claim 1 wherein the means for moving wherein there are two spaced secondary latch bars. the latch bars consisls of a perpfindiculaf joined to 4. The cable roller of claim 2 and wherein springs engage one 9 831d latch l a f 531d Perpendlcular member said perpendicular member and said secondary latch bar and tending out of said vertlcal body structure and a cam on said normally urge the Same toward Said down turned and g gg zsg fgg z fig s i ig ih sgj z engaging Sald turned portions of the upper and lower horizontal flanges 3. The cable roller of claim 1 wherein the upper horizontal respecuvely' flange is relatively wider than the vertical body structure and 

1. A cable roller comprising a vertical body structure having horizontal flanges at its upper and lower ends, down turned portions on one side of said upper horizontal flange and an upturned portion of one side of said lower horizontal flange, a roller rotatably positioned between said vertical body and the upturned portion of said lower horizontal flange, a latch bar slideably positioned in said vertical body structure for movement toward and away from said upturned portion of said lower horizontal flange and above said roller, at least one secondary latch bar slidably positioned in said vertical body structure for movement toward and away from said down turned portions of said upper horizontal flange and means for moving said latch bars.
 2. The cable roller of claim 1 wherein the means for moving the latch bars consists of a perpendicular member joined to one of said latch bars, a rod on said perpendicular member extending out of said vertical body structure and a cam on said rod, a portion of said perpendicular member engaging said secondary latch bar for moving the same.
 3. The cable roller of claim 1 wherein the upper horizontal flange is relatively wider than the vertical body structure and wherein there are two spaced secondary latch bars.
 4. The cable roller of claim 2 and wherein springs engage said perpendicular member and said secondary latch bar and normally urge the same toward said down turned and upturned portions of the upper and lower horizontal flanges respectively. 